Sidelined: The QB and Me review – hot cheerleader meets star quarterback movie is streaming-age bubblegum
A slickly made, nicely shot high-school movie adapted from a Wattpad story with an Instagram-ready cast, the biggest surprise here is James Van Der Beek popping up in a thankless role as the humourless dad. We know from The Rules of Attraction and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 that Van Der Beek's tastes are on the edgier side, but don't tune in if you're expecting any subversive humour; this is a straightforward and edge-free romance for younger teens. The script is laden with examples of what execs will be hoping is authentic Gen Z argot, though lines such as 'I am sick and tired of your main character energy' sound like they've been plucked from A Handy Guide to Understanding Your Teen.
Visually the film has a bit more to offer, effortlessly adopting the onscreen grammar of countless high-school movies before it, so we get all the slow-motion corridor walks and flawlessly executed cheer-squad routines we could hope for. It's all pleasant enough, in a glossy, wallpapery kind of way, but it's hard to get caught up in a plot with so few surprises and dialogue so relentlessly sincere.
Frank Lloyd Wright famously described television as chewing gum for the eyes, but what's less discussed is that Henri Peyre, professor of French at Yale University, coined a similar phrase a little earlier in 1944, in relation to cinema: 'They dutifully chew their gum to keep from yawning, while absorbing the chewing gum for the eyes of the movies.' This applies here: in the era of streaming, there's a vast amount of ocular movie gum being pumped out, including this little piece. That's not even necessarily a bad thing: who doesn't love a stick of bubblegum every now and then? Still, we cannot live on gum alone – it's hard not to long for the bonafide hits of the high school genre, which manage to be be both bubblegumesque and have a flavour that lasts.
Sidelined: The QB and Me is on digital platforms from 17 February.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
a few seconds ago
- Daily Record
Victoria Beckham's 'new coping mechanism' as she's 'heartbroken' over Brooklyn feud
Victoria Beckham is said to be 'heartbroken' over her ongoing feud with son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz, as the couple renewed their wedding vows in the US. Despite the cheerful holiday photos, a source tells Mirror that Victoria Beckham is reportedly "heartbroken" over the family feud. The tension escalated this month when Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz renewed their wedding vows in the US, without inviting any of the Beckham family. Even though the family seemed to be enjoying their time on their £16M yacht - where son Cruz cheekily wore his dad's tiny white trunks, sparking a hilarious family reaction. Clinical psychologist Dr Sona Kaur suggests that Victoria might be hiding her true feelings behind these shared snaps: "Emotionally, she may be trying to protect herself from everything that's happening, and it might be a coping mechanism and a way of dissociating herself from pain and loss." In a series of Instagram posts, Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, were seen expressing their love at an extravagant party held at her family's country estate near New York. Nicola donned her mother Claudia's vintage wedding dress from 1985, while her billionaire father Nelson conducted the ceremony. The couple also posed with Nicola's nearest and dearest, adding to Victoria and husband David's distress – who reportedly only found out about the event when they read about it online. "Victoria's heart is breaking behind closed doors," reveals our insider. "Brooklyn is her firstborn and she's worried she's never going to get him back. Seeing him and Nicola renew their vows without her and David was tough. They have missed out on some big family moments already and Victoria is afraid that the longer this goes on, the less chance there is of it being resolved.", reports the Mirror. Brooklyn and Nicola also posted snaps from their butterfly-themed afterparty, with star-studded guests including actor Adrien Brody and his partner Georgina Chapman. This week, Posh, 51, and Becks, 50, uploaded their own photos of a sun-drenched holiday in the south of France, where they were spotted on a yacht and dining out with their other children Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and 14 year old Harper. "Victoria has been posting cheerful pictures on Instagram and it looks like they were having a fantastic holiday, but that doesn't mean Brooklyn isn't on her mind," adds our insider. "It's been so long now that Victoria is wondering if this really is it. It's the exact opposite of time being a healer." Dr Kaur tells us that the rift must be particularly distressing with the world watching on. "Any kind of family estrangement is painful, but especially when it plays out in public. The psychological impact of that gets magnified on a different level," she says. Dr Kaur has suggested that Victoria may be questioning her own role as a mother due to the family rift. "Family rifts are deeply heartbreaking, and they really can cut into the core of our identity and our belonging. For someone like Victoria, whose identity is intertwined with her family and public brand, being excluded from an important milestone like her son's vow renewal probably brings feelings of grief, rejection – and maybe even a questioning of her own self-worth." David Beckham recently attempted to extend an olive branch to his son Brooklyn by liking one of his Instagram posts where he was giving a cooking tutorial using his hot sauce brand, Cloud 23. However, Brooklyn did not acknowledge David's 50th birthday in May, nor did he say anything on Father's Day in June. Brooklyn also failed to publicly wish his mum a happy birthday in April, and while the rest of the family celebrated in Miami, he and Nicola were noticeably absent. In July, Brooklyn seemed to ignore his parents' 26th wedding anniversary, and he also failed to acknowledge David's recent knighthood on social media. A source added: "The two families are worlds apart now," and "David can't believe Brooklyn could do this to his family. He just doesn't understand it, and as a family man he feels really let down. David feels they've tried to patch things up but aren't getting anywhere with Brooklyn and Nicola, so all he can do now is put his wife and the rest of the family first." Tensions were reportedly high between Brooklyn Beckham and his family even before his wedding to Nicola three years ago. Alleged disagreements over the bride's dress design and rumours of Nicola feeling "upstaged" by Victoria added fuel to the fire. In a surprising turn of events, Brooklyn was reportedly blocked on Instagram by his brothers Romeo and Cruz last month. Despite this, he did acknowledge his sister Harper's 14th birthday and later in July, paid tribute to his grandfather Ted Beckham on his 77th birthday with a heartfelt post, writing, "Happy birthday grandad. I love you xx." As the saga unfolds, a friend of the couple has claimed that David and Victoria were never even considered for the guest list. They stated, "In the current climate... hell would have had to freeze over before that happened,". Reflecting on his special day with Nicola, Brooklyn expressed, "To be honest, I could renew my vows every single day with her. I think the most important thing that someone can do is find that person they're going to spend the rest of their life with. It definitely shapes you as a person."
Daily Mirror
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mirror
Peter Andre livid as he shares bombshell statement about Katie Price - 'This ends today'
Peter Andre has savagely hit back at ex-wife Katie Price in a scathing upload. The Mysterious Girl singer, 52, took to social media as the war of words between the former couple reached new heights. It comes after Katie, 47, slammed those producing their daughter Princess Andre's debut reality TV series. Princess, 18, is seen with her dad throughout the series, while her mum features very little. She had urged Peter to sit down to end their feud. However, now, in a fierce Instagram post, Peter has said: "For sixteen years, I have stayed silent in the face of repeated lies from my ex-wife and her family, out of respect for my children and loved ones, but staying silent has been incredibly frustrating. That ends today. "The latest comments about my children's welfare and living arrangements compel me to set the record straight. For well-documented reasons, and for their safety, Junior and Princess came into my care in 2018 and remained with me until they reached adulthood. In 2019, the family courts issued a legally binding order to enforce this arrangement. I have never made this public before, out of respect for my children. "In 2011 and 2015, publicly documented court cases, found my ex-wife had made false claims. She was ordered to pay substantial damages and legal costs, and to apologise, to me and my management. The same falsehoods are being repeated today. "Unfortunately, there are many more lies and baseless accusations I have yet to address. Those will now be dealt with in the coming months." Peter and Katie share two children together, son Junior as well as daughter Princess. The former couple no longer have anything to do with each other. And Katie made her feeling be known about Peter's management team managing Princess' career. Katie said she was "very, very upset" at the situation and said she is being left out. She also said she won't be watching the new reality show, which she isn't a part of. The mum-of-five claimed she was banned from her daughter's 18th birthday party and that her former management team – who look after both Peter and Princess – did not want her on the show as they considered her 'trash'. Speaking on her podcast recently, Katie alleged: 'Princess was like 'I'm having a party'. And I wasn't invited because it was for 'filming'.' In the documentary, Princess addressed traumatic memories of her glamour model mum Katie's divorce from Pete as well as her other very public relationships. In a candid confession, Princess said: "I did have a counsellor, I do still see her every now and then. "But I don't feel like I can really talk, so I just write everything down in my notes. I do wish, like, I could have had a more happier childhood. In the sense of like, I had so many things on my plate at a young age."
Daily Mail
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mail
TOWIE's Amy Childs shows off her trim figure in a pink swimsuit during her family summer holiday to Tenerife after sparking weight loss concerns with fans
Amy Childs turned heads in a pink swimsuit as she showcased her trim figure on Instagram on Thursday. The TOWIE star, 35, is currently enjoying a sun-drenched getaway in Tenerife with her fiancé Billy Delbosq and children. In her latest social media post, Amy flaunted her slimmer than ever frame in the one-piece on a balcony. Shielding her eyes with a pair of sunglasses, the reality star posed up a storm with her daughters in the fun clip. Alongside the clip, she penned: 'This is what I live for. Holiday time. 'I have been counting down the days for time with all of us, life has been crazy busy lately. 'Having mum guilt the past few months has been tough but some much needed time away with my gang. And of course me and Milly are matching.' It comes after Amy sparked concern from fans over her dramatic weight loss. Earlier this year, she hit back at cruel internet trolls who have sent her hurtful comments over her recent weight loss. Taking to Instagram, she wrote: 'I wasn't going to post this, as I have been having such awful comments about my weight… 'I just want to come away be happy and feel amazing, I need to learn to love myself again, I have a long way to go and I definitely need to put on some weight but I will get there ♥️ positive vibes please.' Alongside the note, Amy shared a video of herself in a brown bikini as she displayed her slimmed down frame. Amy has also revealed the real reason behind her extreme weight loss after calling off her wedding to her fiancé Billy Delbosq. Addressing the weight loss and cruel trolling she's received as a result of the weight loss in an emotional interview with OK! Magazine she said: 'I'm going through so much at the minute that the weight has fallen off me. The reality star has lost two stone over the past year (pictured earlier this year) 'I worry about my mum constantly. She's very emotional – she thinks she's going to have another heart attack.' 'People think I'm not eating, but I do eat. To be honest, I do feel better when I'm a bit heavier than I am at the moment. There's so much going on at the minute – it's the result of pure stress. We're also having renovations done in the midst of parenting four kids.' Amy added: 'But I'm strong, I've been in this industry for 15 years. I've had lots of people concerned about me, which I completely understand, but yes, people can be so quick to judge.' Amy also explained how she once tried using weight-loss injections 18 months ago, but it made her 'so ill she threw up three or four times'.
